Prearranged bridge hand dealing arrangement



United States Patent 3,236,524 PREARRANGED BRIDGE HAND DEALING ARRANGEMENT Ellen Louise Shook, Laurel, Miss. Filed Sept. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 398,470 2 Claims. (Cl. 273152.2)

This application comprises a continuation in part of my co-pending application entitled Bridge Playing Device, Serial No. 80,687, filed January 4, 1961, now abandoned, which co-pending application was a continuation in part of my earlier filed application, Serial No. 509,457, filed May '19, 1955, also now abandoned.

The present invention relates to playing cards adapted for playing bridge. More particularly, the invention relates to playing cards containing indicia which function so as to present prearranged hands useful in playing duplicate contract bridge.

Heretofore, there have been numerous means presented to the art for permitting the play and replay of particular hands of bridge. Some of the devices such as, for example, so-called duplicate boards have been accorded wide commercial acceptance. Other devices have presented preselected hands in such manner that a single player could play entire hands without benefit of the customary three additional players. These devices have been widely used both for presenting outstanding tournament bridge hands and for instruction in bridge play.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel bridge playing device which permits the play and infinite replay of a series of prearranged hands by one player or by any desired number of players by means of a deck of cards which functions in a manner so as to eliminate such auxiliary equipment as is necessary in the fore-mentioned devices.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of bridge cards containing auxiliary reference cards with indicia distributed therebetween which permit the dealing of a series of preselected hands and either normal play of a hand or a step-by-step instructed order of play.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a bridge game for presenting a series of hands that may be adapted to conventional cards having a standard printed back usable in many different decks for specific sets of hands to be presented.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description thereof.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates the back of a playing card containing the indicia for guiding the presentation of a series of preselected bridge hands;

FIGURE 2 illustrates the face of a guide card used to contain auxiliary information for instruction concerning the manner of playing a particular hand; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a card similar to FIGURES 1 and 2 but showing a modified means of forming indicia thereon.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the device comprises a deck of playing cards 1, the backs of which contain a series of paired indicia 2 with each pair consisting of a letter and a numeral. In each instance the letter functions so as to denote the player receiving the particular card while the 3,236,524 Patented Feb. 22, 1966 numeral denotes the hand which is to be played. Thus, for example, in dealing hand No. 1, illustrated by the letter and a number located in the first position on the left-hand column, all of the cards D1 comprise one hand, and the cards A1, B1, and C1 comprise the other three hands. The letter D has been employed to denote the dealer and the cards are dealt A, B, and C so that the hands are held in rotation in that order to the left of the dealer in conventional style. Accordingly, A and C are always partners as are B and D. Subsequent to the play. of hand No. l, the cards may be dealt in similar manner for the play of the succeeding twenty-three hands. Other indicia may be selected to function similarly by identifying the four players as referenced to the dealer.

In further explanation, in accordance with the laws of bridge, North deals the first hand; therefore, on hand 1 North holds the D1 cards. East sits to the left of North and holds the A1 cards. South sits opposite North and holds the B1 cards. West holds the C1 cards. For hand 2 the dealer is East. Therefore, East will hold the D2 cards, South the A2, West the B2 and North the C2. The positions North, South, East and West are fixed positions. The player designated as A, B, C, or D is determined by who deals the hand. The dealer always holds the D cards.

In order to present the preselected hands in the fashion of ordinary bridge, the status of vulnerability must be indicated as by the four column headings of FIGURE 1. The heading indicates that in the hands falling in the first column no one is vulnerable. The hands of the next three columns are indicated as N-S, E-W, and Both, meaning that, respectively, North-South, East-West, and Both teams are vulnerable. It will be noted that in the preferred embodiment illustrated, the sequence or order of vulnerability progresses in accordance with the standard laws of duplicate bridge so that the first numerical indicia of the series of indicia 2 in each succeeding row has been displaced one column across the card as from Column 12, 23, 34, and 4-1, as clearly shown in FIG. 1. Accordingly, for example, after the first four hands have been played, the dealer refers to the indicia appearing in the position occupying Column 2, row 2, and identified in the preferred embodiment illustrated, by the appropriate sequential indicia. Thus, it will be seen that the device of FIGURE 1 enables the dealing of any particular desired preselected hand on the initial deal and the subsequent redealing of the hand any number of times while retaining all the information necessary to comply with the standard laws of duplicate bridge, which requires the order of vulnerability and the sequence of dealing shown on these cards. Thus, all cards may be dealt for 24 preselected hands and the hands set up for duplicate play without reference to any other medium.

The cards may be dealt and played as in any duplicate bridge play. However to aid in the learning of bridge by showing the optimum play of the hands, guide cards are provided. Thus, this invention presents a novel arrangement which permits preselected hands to be played independently as in a duplicate tournament, permits review after play by experienced bridge players, or permits card by card instruction for learners. No other system has been devised to do this.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the face of one of four guide cards which identifies the playing cards 6 held by each indicia under the card designation.

player for each hand, in this case the dealer. The guide card shows the order of play of the cards by the numeric-a1 The order of the bidding is also shown above the word DEALER reading upwardly from the bottom. Identifying indicia are contained on the back of each guide card corresponding to the indicia on the backs of the playing cards. Thus, for example, for hand D1 there is a guide card whose back bears the identifying indicia D1. The same is true for hands A1, B1, C1, and all of the succeeding prearranged hands presented by the novel device.

The information given on the guide cards is used only for review of the play of the hand, or for learning proper procedure. Thus, by using the mechanics of this novel device, four people who wish to learn the game of bridge can correctly bid and correctly play every card of the series of prearranged hands. However, dealing and play of the cards can occur normally Without access to the information on the guide cards, which might prejudice normal selection of bids or play of cards otherwise.

In play, the bidding column of the guide cards is first covered as by laying a card or sheet of paper thereover. As the bidding progresses the bids are uncovered one at a time to indicate to the player the correct bidding of the hand. It will be appreciated that, in this manner, the novel device provides a means for instructing four players both in bidding and in the play of a particular hand. Of equal importance, the guide cards also enable one person to play all four of the presented hands according to expert instruction. Upon dealing and distributing the hand selected, the lone player places the accompanying guide card with each hand so that, by uncovering the bidding column of each in sequence, the bidding of the hand is revealed. Thereafter, the order of play is indicated by the numerals appearing under the designated cards on the guide card.

Another feature of the novel device is the provision of a means of aligning all of the playing cards for convenient re-deal during the play of a hand. A symbol such as, for example, a dot, a geometric figure, a State name, a bored hole, a chipped corner or any designation on one corner only is on each playing card face. The chipped corner is shown to represent this feature. When a trick is taken, the cards are so arranged that the symbols are all in the same relative position. Thus, when the next hand is to be dealt, the indicia on the backs of the playing cards are all in the same relative position and can be read without need for further arrangement. Obviously, any desired symbol may be employed at any position on the cards, it being necessary only .to indicate the correct position for each card relative to the remainder of the cards. The function of this corner is such that twice as many hands may be presented as if the same indicia were presented on each half of a card in reverse position.

FIGURE 3 discloses a structural modification in the individual card whereby the use of special printing of the backs of the cards for each set of hands is entirely eliminated. Thus, indicia may be superimposed upon the back of a card which is already printed with a standard design, either by dotting, or perforating the cards in the manner shown. The perforations can be superimposed on any printed pattern and thus are preferred. In this form the letter A is supplanted by a single perforation 14 extending through the card, B is indicated by a double perforation 16, and C is indicated by a triple perforation 18. The letter D is represented by an imperforated space as indicated at 20. Each of the four columns is used in the same manner to designate vulnerability status by stamping or notching the edge of the card and, in the FIG. 3 embodiment this designation takes the form of diamondshaped perforations 21 directed in the appropriate N-S, E-W directions to indicate the same vulnerability status as shown in the FIG. 1 embodiment. It is to be appreciated that in this manner a bridge teacher or duplicate tournament counselor may prepare different sets of hands without requiring a special and expensive printing of a few cards.

The card of FIGURE 1 may also be provided with a series of diagonal lines 22 which indicate the hands dealt by North; or the first hand dealt of each four hands.

The novel device of the invention, therefore, comprises means of presenting a plurality of preselected bridge hands through the medium of an ordinary deck of playing cards. The novel device of the invention functions so as to indicate the manner of dealing the cards so as to obtain a particular prearranged hand on the initial deal which may thereafter be redealt an infinite number of times. The device also presents a novel means for the instruction of the players, and additionally, enables a single player to play the selected hands.

There is provided therefore a set of cards containing thereupon information to aid in dealing, in determining the number of the deal and in scoring; and a set of guide cards containing information designating the sequence of playing the hands, the cards held by each player and the sequence of bidding.

Each deal of a preselected hand is designated by a marking in a position along a column which shows vulnerability status in the sequence neither, N-S, E-W, and both as required in duplicate bridge play. Each deal is referenced to the dealer, which begins at North with the first hand in accordance with duplicate bridge rules so that the designated hands are dealt with vulnerability and rotation of the hands following the prescribed rules. No information is contained on the cards which would prejudice play by indicating the nature of the hand.

The guide cards indicate the sequence of playing cards and bidding and the cards held by each player, and because vulnerability is shown on the playing cards themselves, no reference is required to the nature of the hand to indicate vulnerability status.

Thus the novel features herein provide for an improved system of duplicate bridge useful for the novice or the expert, and which is adapted to use standard decks for marking to designate a sequence of hands.

What is claimed is:

1. Duplicate bridge means with a series of preselected hands permitting the play of standard tournament bridge, the review of played hands and instructed card-by-card play comprising in combination, a deck of playing cards bearing conventional suit and rank indications on the front face thereof, a series of indicia arranged in lateral rows and longitudinal columns visible from the black of each of said cards, said indicia being arranged in four columns each headed by a designation of vulnerable status in the sequence (neither), (N-S), (E-W), (both) for aiding in determining the number of the deal and in scoring, said series of indicia for each card having a numerical sequence designating the different hands by orderly following positions across the columns and back if necessary and downwardly row by row, the first indicia of said numerical sequence in each succeeding row being displaced one column across the card as from column 1 to 2, 2 to 3, 3 to 4, and 4 to 1 as determined by the position of said first indicia of said numerical sequence in the preceding row whereby standard rules of vulnerable status are followed, said series of indicia having additional markings associated therewith to indicate the particular cards that are to be dealt to the dealer and three other players designated sequentially as rotated to the left of the dealer, and a set of guide cards, said guide card set comprising one guide card for each player for each of the preselected hands in the sequence, each of said guide cards having on its face symbols denoting the cards held in one of the preselected hands together with additional symbols denoting the correct sequence of bids and the correct sequential order of play of the cards.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein is further provided a diagonal line extending between said first indicia 5 v 6 of said numerical sequence in each of at least the first 1,418,020 5/1922 Reach 273-1522 four succeeding rows whereby a quick reference is pro- 1,745,946 9 0 Murray 273152.1 X vided to indicate the first hand dealt of each four hands. 2,296,113 9/ 4 M ddleb ook 273-1522 FOREIGN PATENTS References Cited by the Examiner 919,318 11/1946 France.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 535,269 4/1941 Great Britain. 834,189 10/1906 Chadbourne 273-4521 1,233 545 7 1917 Biucchi 273 152 1 BERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

1,390,824 9/1921 Silliman 273-1521 10 ANTON O OECHSLE, Examiner. 

1. DUPLICATE BRIDGE MEANS WITH A SERIES OF PRESELECTED HANDS PERMITTING THE PLAY OF STANDARD TOURNAMENT BRIDGE, THE REVIEW OF PLAYED HAND AND INSTRUCTED CARD-BY-CARD PLAY COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A DECK OF PLAYING CARDS BEARING CONVENTIONAL SUIT AND RANK INDICATIONS ON THE FRONT FACE THEREOF, A SERIES OF INDICIA ARRANGED IN LATERAL ROWS AND LONGITUDINAL COLUMNS VISIBLE FROM THE BACK OF EACH OF SAID CARDS, SAID INDICIA BEING ARRANGED IN FOUR COLUMNS EACH HEADED BY A DESIGNATION OF VULNERABLE STATUS IN THE SEQUENCE (NEITHER), (N-S), (E-W), (BOTH) FOR AIDING IN DETERMINING THE NUMBER OF THE DEAL AND IN SCORING, SAID SERIES OF INDICIA FOR EACH CARD HAVING AN NUMERICAL SEQUENCE DESIGNATING THE DIFFERENT HANDS BY ORDERLY FOLLOWING POSITIONS ACROSS THE COLUMNS AND BACK IF NECESSARY AND DOWNWARDLY ROW BY ROW, THE FIRST INDICIA OF SAID NUMERICAL SEQUENCE IN EACH SUCCEEDING ROW BEING 